Happy Independence Day! Happy Fourth of July!

For readers outside of the United States, July fourth marks the anniversary of the founding of the United States. It is the anniversary of the date in 1776 when people signed the Declaration of Independence, a document that claimed the United States was a separate country from Great Britain.

Independence is so important, yet so hard to achieve. A person could struggle to break from from a country, a relationship, a habit, or a drug addiction. People can find it particularly difficult to free themselves from drug addiction, because drug addiction isn’t just one attachment, but many.

Physically, it’s pretty apparent that drug addiction sinks its claws into people and doesn’t let up easily. People who abuse drugs and alcohol can feel physically ill if they don’t use large amounts of those substances on a regular basis, or they use the substances to feel normal.

Mentally, drug and alcohol abuse can make a person entirely dependent, and make them practically a slave to those substances. Their cravings could dictate every aspect of their lives. People could become so focused on finding and using drugs that they neglect every other aspect in their lives, even the most important ones.

But people don’t have to struggle with such dependence and abuse. They can find help. Thomas Jefferson didn’t single-handedly declare independence and free the United States from British rule, he had help. So do drug and alcohol abusers.

There is a lot of help available for people who abuse drugs and alcohol. But people might not know where to even begin, because the options might seem overwhelming. Tomorrow’s post will include some suggestions on how to search for help, so please come back to catch some of these tips.

Until then, if you’re celebrating Independence Day or your independence from something more personal, enjoy yourself and stay safe. We’ll talk tomorrow.